


Downtime

by garrideb



Category: Andromeda
Genre: Bickering, Card Games, Flirting, Gen, My First Fanfic, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-21
Updated: 2011-05-21
Packaged: 2017-10-19 15:59:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/202624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garrideb/pseuds/garrideb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dylan wants his new crew to play a friendly game of cards together, so of course it all goes wrong.  Written 5/2002</p>
            </blockquote>





	Downtime

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I ever posted to the internet. I posted it to fanfiction.net under the name morningstar2 [here](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/797431/1/Downtime) back in 2002. It's been nearly ten years since then, and I'd like to think I've grown as a writer. I did go through and fix some spelling and grammar errors, but have otherwise left it in all its scrawled-in-study-hall glory.

"Whatchya got there, Boss?" Harper asked Dylan as he entered the mess hall. Dylan held up a brand new deck of cards. Before he could explain, the door opened and Tyr entered, looking as irritable as always. The Nietzschean glared at Dylan and took a seat, dropping his head onto his arms.

Dylan barely glanced at Tyr before answering Harper. "I thought we should spend more downtime together as a group. That's why I called all of you down here. With such a small crew, it's important we're all on good terms. Come on, it'll be fun!"

"What'll be fun?" Beka asked as she entered the room. Trance and Rommie were right behind her. Beka had been interrupted while working out, and was sweaty and visibly annoyed.

Dylan ignored this and smiled cheerfully. "Good, were all here. Does everyone know how to play Vedren Poker?"

Everyone nodded except for Trance. Harper noticed this and came to her rescue. "Trance, babe, we can play as a team. I'll teach you as we go along." He slid his chair next to Trance's, until he was practically sitting on her. Beka rolled her eyes.

Dylan dealt the cards, blatantly ignoring Harper's behavior.

Everyone picked up their hand and looked at the cards. Trance turned to Harper. "Why do these cards have hearts on them?" Apparently she had never played with a 'Human' deck before.

"Shh… they're not supposed to know what our cards are, Trance. Here…" and Harper leaned in even farther to whisper in the alien girl's ear. She blushed slightly and giggled, drawing Beka's stern gaze upon them. No matter what powers the purple alien possessed, she remained quite innocent, and Beka hated it when Harper tried to 'corrupt' Trance.

Dylan started the round. Things went smoothly for a while, and the captain sighed, relieved. He had hoped his crew could gather peacefully for once. Tyr and Rommie were practically tied, with Rommie slightly ahead. Harper and Trance were losing, though neither seemed to mind as they huddled behind their cards.

Suddenly Tyr paused, gazing at Rommie suspiciously.

"Ship, are eternal sensors being used?" Tyr asked.

Holo-Rommie appeared beside him, looking quizzical. "Yes."

"Engage privacy mode!" Tyr demanded, eyes flashing dangerously at the hologram. "I demand a replay! The ship has been using sensors to cheat!" He threw his cards down violently.

"That's ridiculous!" The avatar Rommie was on her feet. "Sensors are used to monitor the health of the crew!"

"Exactly. You monitor heartbeat, blood pressure, adrenaline. You can easily see through any bluff, letting you cheat at this game!" Now Tyr was on his feet too.

"Enough!" Dylan's yell went unnoticed.

Rommie threw her cards down as well. "Why would I cheat? That's more of a Nietzschean thing to do! Your genes are considered better if you can lie, deceive, and betray your friends. I'm not so insecure that I'd feel the need to cheat at a simple card game just to prove myself."

"Well, maybe you wanted to impress your Captain. The captain you oh-so obviously lust after!"

Rommie's mouth fell open and her face turned a deep shade of red that made the Avatar look all the more human. She seemed speechless. Finally she spat out, "I am a warship," her voice grew louder as she continued. "I am not some hormone-driven, egotistical bastard like someone else here!"

Tyr reacted to the last insult. He growled and raised his arm blades threateningly. "Never. Question. My. Parentage!" He looked ready to kill Rommie, and Rommie ready to kill him.

A force lance blast silenced them. Dylan stood over them both, a look of pure anger and annoyance on his face. "Can't you two play one single game of cards with out going at each others throats? I want each of you to report to the bridge for your punishments in one hour! Honestly, what kind of example are you setting as officers of this ship?" He trailed of as he noticed the absence of Beka, Trance, and Harper. "Where the hell did they go?" He demanded, and left the room. Tyr and Rommie could hear him muttering under his breath as he walked away, "One freaking game of cards… my old crew would never…"

During the game…

Harper's endless woman chasing was becoming intolerable to Beka. Worst of all, she thought, was the fact that he was going after Trance. Personally, she knew that crewmates didn't make good lovers. The whole thing reminded her way too much of Bobby.

When Tyr and Rommie started fighting, Harper had soundlessly backed away from the table. He knew better than to be around an angry Nietzschean, even if it was Tyr. And an angry warship wasn't exactly pleasant either. He grabbed at Trance's hand and led her out of the room, hiding his anxiety behind a playful smile. Before the door was closed, Beka swore she saw Harper plant a kiss beside Trance's ear.

That was it. They were her crew, and she wouldn't tolerate Harper 'taking advantage' of Trance. She left the room unnoticed.


End file.
